DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2014.v02i06.045

Pages: 3060-3063

The present study was undertaken to evaluate the effectiveness of Enzyme linked Immuno Sorbant Assay (ELISA), Quantitative buffy coat(QBC) , SD Bioline Malaria Antigen P.f/Pan (Histidine Rich protein II (HRP II) & Lactate Dehydrogenase (pLDH)) as compared to peripheral smear examination in the diagnosis of malaria. 80 samples were collected from clinically suspected cases of malaria during March 2012 to February 2013 at Era’s Lucknow Medical College& Hospital, Lucknow. Microscopic examinations of Leishman stained smears, ELISA, QBC, SD Bioline Malaria Antigen P.f/Pan test were done. 49(61.25%) samples were positive by peripheral smear, 74 (92.5%) were positive by ELISA, 77(96.25%) by QBC and 71 (88.75%) by SD Bioline Malaria Antigen P.f/Pan tests. Both ELISA & QBC are advantageous where work load is high, but are costly. Peripheral blood smears remained the gold standard for malaria species diagnosis in routine diagnostic laboratories but in this study the efficacy of newer malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDT) surpassed the diagnostic efficacy of clinical microscopy and hence these RDT's will have a greater role in clinical practice.